Pakistan's elite enjoy benefits on tax extracted from salaried class

ISLAMABAD: The inflation-hit nation is bearing the brunt of massive taxes imposed by the government in budget 2024-25 whereas Pakistan’s elite are enjoying the benefits on tax extracted from the salaried class, ARY News reported.

ARY News program “Sawal Yeh Hai” hosted by Maria Memon revealed that the government is showering benefits on the elite while imposing taxes on the salaried class.

Despite the financial crunch, the government is spending on luxurious vehicles and houses for its officials.

Maria Memon questioned how the government can justify spending Rs 29 crore on the renovation of the Lahore Commissioner’s House and Rs 3.6 crore on the Prime Minister’s garden when it claims to have no resources.

She also pointed out that the President’s House has allocated Rs 41 crore for its employees, while the Special Assistants to the Prime Minister are getting Rs 40 crore.

Citing a Bloomberg report, Maria Memon said that the tax on milk has increased the price by five times, making it more expensive than in developed countries like France, Australia, and others. The price of milk in Karachi is Rs 370 whereas in Amsterdam, Paris and Melbourne it is Rs 359, Rs342 and Rs 300 respectively.

She also criticized the government’s decision to provide free milk to school children while imposing taxes on milk, making it unaffordable for the common man.

She asked who would account for the burden imposed on the common man due to these taxes.

It is pertinent to mention here that protest erupted against the recently announced ‘tax filled’ budget 2024-25 which further burdened the inflation hit salary class citizens of Pakistan.

More than hundreds of private company employees participated in the protest staged at Islamabad’s Blue area.

The president of the private company stated that people are not able to bear the tax recently imposed by the government on the salaried class.

READ: Salaried class protests against ‘unfair’ tax

He highlighted that the government should have revised the tax policy as the inflation-hit citizens already considering leaving the country.

The protestors appealed to the government to withdraw the taxes imposed in the recently announced budget 2024-25.